Friday, March 30, 2018

Susan Sleeman Interview and Kill Shot Giveaway!

Join Suspense Sisters in welcoming the Ah-amazing Susan Sleeman! Susan is a dear friend and writing buddy and quite frankly one of the most prolific writers I know. Her FBI and police procedural novels are well-researched and packed with action and dynamic characters. If you haven't read any of Susan's novels, now's the time to start!

She's giving away one copy of KILL SHOT (US residents only!) to each of THREE winners. Be sure to leave a comment with your contact information to be entered in the drawing for KILL SHOT.

Now, let's hear from Susan!

If you had to describe yourself in one sentence, what would you say?

I’m a wife, mother, believer and author who is also a workaholic and loves to spend time with my family.

What do you do when you’re not writing? Any interesting hobbies?

In the spring and summer, I love to garden. Both vegetable and flower gardening. In the colder months, I love to plan garden changes. Study seed catalogs. Review the prior year’s results and plan the next year. Some would say I am a gardening fanatic and they would be right.

What was your favorite book as a teen or child?

Any Nancy Drew mystery book qualifies as a favorite. I devoured them as a child and reread them all so many times. I credit Nancy for informing my love of mystery and suspense books. Thank you, Nancy!

Tell us three things about yourself that might surprise your readers.

I love to do financial things including taxes. Yeah, I know. I’m weird.

I am a technology geek. I love computers and learning new things about them and how they work. In fact, I once taught computers.

I never lived in a house until I went to college. My parents owned a grocery store and it had two apartments on the second floor. My family lived in one and my grandparnets lived in the other one. Oddly enough, I never realized that I had only lived in an apartment until I moved into an actual house.

What genre did you start out writing? Have you changed course? Why or why not?

The first book I wrote was romance with a side of mystery. Then I wrote cozy mysteries. I changed to romantic suspense. I did so at the time because no publishers were acquiring cozy mysteries but were contracting romantic suspense. I love romantic suspense as that is what I love to read so it was a natural progression, but every now and then I get the hankering to write another first person cozy mystery. My writing schedule doesn’t allow it, but maybe some day.

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

Hmm, the toughest, huh? I have been very fortunate to have supportive editors who haven’t really criticized my writing over all, but have given me specific ways to fix parts of a book to make them better. So I guess, I’d have to say reader reviews can often be the hardest to take. I can’t think of a particular criticism, but readers don’t realize that publishing a book is like putting your baby out in public for others to criticize and some people can be really harsh. It takes a lot of time, effort, and giving of yourself to create a book and it hurts when the criticisms are harsh.

The biggest compliment is when a reader tells me that the faith message in my book really speaks to them. That it’s woven into the fabric of the book, but still stands out and really touches them in a way that they need to hear at the time.

Any other genres you’d like to try? If yes, what and why?

None other than maybe writing that cozy mystery I mentioned above. I am very happy doing what I am doing.

If you could go back in time and do something differently at the start of your career, what would it be?

Start sooner. I wouldn’t wait until I had health issues that forced me to sit to start writing. I would have begun when I was younger.

What is the most important thing you’d like readers to take away from your books?

I want readers to find enjoyment for the time they are reading, and after the book is finished, to think about the character’s struggles to see if they apply to their lives. If so, maybe they can find a way to use what the character learned to help them move forward in life, too.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you’d like to give to unpublished authors?

Keep at it and write, write, write. Writing is no different than anything else in life. You only get better by doing. Don’t expect to write amazing books when you first start out. Sure, there are authors who do, but the majority of published authors have to spent hours at the computer. Be that person. Don’t give up.

Thanks so much for joining us, Susan! Readers, don't forget to let a comment with your contact information to enter the drawing for Kill Shot by Susan Sleeman. Remember, she's giving away THREE copies--one to each of three winners!

Here's more about Kill Shot.

Some fears haunt you forever….

As the ballistics and weapon’s expert for the FBI’s special task force nicknamed the White Knights,

Rick Cannon has known the Department of Defense was developing self-steering bullets. Rick feared these smart bullets–which have one hundred percent accuracy that can turn even a novice into a lethal sniper–would eventually end up in the hands of the wrong people. But since the ammunition was still in the development stage, he figured they had plenty of time before that happened. He was wrong. Dead wrong.

Until they become reality.

When a homeless vet is killed with a smart bullet, it’s clear that the ammunition has been stolen, and the Knights are called in to find the thief and stop the killings. But they aren’t the only ones desperate to find the killer. Therapist Olivia Dobbs is well known for her success in counseling military veterans with PTSD. When she discovers one of her clients moments after he is murdered, she becomes both the FBI’s prime witness, and suspect.

Despite the mutual attraction that immediately sparks between them, Rick can’t–no he won’t–let Olivia interfere with his investigation. But when the sniper trains his rifle on her, Rick must recall all the skills he learned as a Marine sniper to make sure the next bullet fired isn’t a kill shot that takes Olivia out.

Susan Sleeman's Bio:

SUSAN SLEEMAN is a bestselling and award-winning author of more than 30 inspirational/Christian and clean read romantic suspense books. Readers love her romant

ic suspense series for the well-drawn characters and edge-of-your-seat action. She graduated from the FBI and local police citizen academies, so her research is spot-on and her characters are real. In addition to writing, Susan also hosts thesuspensezone.com. She has lived in nine states but now calls Oregon home. Her husband is a retired church music director, and they have two beautiful daughters, a very special son-in-law, and an adorable grandson.

Yeah I don’t like taxes in any way or tech things even though I would like a better understanding of all things tech. :)Both my mom and I love to read and we swap books whenever we meet up and your books are at the top of our to get books online or at bookstores. Thanks for not giving up! jennydtipton at gmail dot com

Sabrina, the odd part was I just never noticed that living in an apartment was different from my friends who all lived in houses. I guess that's because it was always that way for me. The big bonus was if we were having a craving for something to eat we could just go down to the store and get it at any time of day.

Susan, you know I'm one of your biggest fans :-) I've loved every book I've read by you and always found the faith message to be refreshing. God always speaks something to me through them.

I didn't know you also liked to write cozy mysteries. The things I like about them are the quirky characters, the often included animals, and small town feel. I don't often read them as I like romantic suspense better!

What a fun interview. Getting to know authors outside of books is fun! Thank you for the giveaway chance to win a copy of Kill Shot.

Hi Susan, I am amazed at how similar we are. I love flower and vegetsble gardening, Nancy Drew, preparing taxes and technology. I was born before students had computers and if I had been born later I would probably have chosen to study IT. I also love mystery and suspense!Happy Easter!Conniecps1950(at)gmail(dot)com

Getting the seed catalogues in the mail is always a highlight for me. It makes it seem like spring is just around the corner. Of course, my seeds have long arrived and we're still under snow and the cold just doesn't want to leave this year.arletta(DOT)boulton(AT)gmail(DOT)com

I always enjoy reading your books. I cant do much gardening now as I had a knee replaced but my granddaughter and I had fun doing some container gardening last summer. We harvested 2 sugar baby watermelons of which she was very proud and promptly ate. We hope to try again this summer but planting season is a good 2 months away here.carola245 (at)hotmail. (com)

Loved the interview and the book sounds awesome. I'm putting the book on my list to read. I did taxes for people a few years ago and loved it. I also like technology, but still learning. Thank you for the chance to win. rose blackard (at) gmail (dot) com

Hi Susan,I've only read a couple of your books and I love them. I love all the suspense and action. You are truly a gifted author. I also like that some of your books are in Oregon where I'm from. My email address is: mfliteraryworks@gmail.comThanks for all you do!